Hummingbirds
by ThxrinOxkenshield
Summary: She never wanted to move, but it wasn't her choice. Lima would become nothing but a memory. Mystic Falls had to become familiar to her, no matter how much she didn't want it to. Unfortunately, for her, a destiny was set in motion the day she set foot there. Her family has a past she wasn't aware of. She was afraid. [Rachel Berry/Damon Salvatore]
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**: **_I understand this isn't in the crossover section for Glee, but seeing as those are hardly read, I'm placing it here. If you don't like this, just go on finding other fanfictions. I've worked really hard on this and I cannot wait to share it with you all. I really hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it._**

* * *

She wasn't necessarily angry, per se. Perhaps she had been selfish when she yelled at her fathers. Technically speaking, it wasn't really their fault. Her father's boss had to branch out to a lot of different locations in order to help out with opportunities to interlink with other companies. Unfortunately, one of the employees he was forcing to move was LeRoy. At first, he had refused, saying Lima was his home and it would be too much of a hassle to get his daughter and husband on board, but then his boss offered him a larger salary. Hiram agreed that moving would help with the memoir he was writing, but none of them consulted their little girl who was quite content with her place in Lima before she'd move off to New York to accomplish her dreams.

No, this town wasn't perfect. She was slushied on a daily basis by hooligans like Karofsky or one of the other football players that felt Glee club was the spawn of Satan. However, that didn't take away from the aura of complete happiness that she felt with her fellow Glee clubbers. At the beginning of the year, she was quite possibly the most hated girl in McKinley High School, but as time passed, she befriended the most unlikely of people. She even managed to get on Quinn Fabray's good side, her sworn enemy that she often admired from afar. She had the star quarterback and lead male in Glee to become her boyfriend after so long of longing for him.

And now she had to kiss it all away because her fathers told her they were moving to Mystic Falls, Virginia literally this weekend, where she would then have to apply to their local high school for rest of her sophomore year. It was her biggest nightmare. What if they didn't have a Glee club? What if they threw something that was far worse than slushies? What if she didn't gain any companions like she has in Lima? What if this meant she would never be able to move to New York like she wants?

But all of those questions would have to wait for when she was put on a plane. For now, she had to muster up whatever lack of courage she has to go into her school for the last time and tell her newfound friends and team that she would be leaving and not returning anytime soon to finish her junior or senior year. What made her feel all the more paranoid was that they might not even be sad she was leaving. They might just laugh and be excited they'll finally get the solos they want. Rachel doesn't blame them. If she was in their shoes, she'd feel ecstatic, too.

The day was calm and ordinary. She avoided Finn and the others all day long, afraid she'd just break down in tears if she looked them in the eyes. She'd have to wait for Glee practice after school to tell them all the bad news. Her stomach tightened uncomfortably at the thought of it. She wondered what Mr. Shuester would say. He always had some kind of inspiring quote he would come up with to make her feel good. His constant goal was to make sure his kids were happy.

Soon enough(too soon in Rachel's opinion), practice was in five minutes. She cooped herself in the bathroom in the mean time, staring uselessly at her reflection that looked like a complete mess. Her eyes were swollen and pink from all the crying, her lips chapped from the sobs. If anything, they might just think her and Finn broke up. Glancing at her wrist watch, she saw she had no more time to spare. Glee started in just two minutes.

"You can do this," she whispered to herself, gripping the edge of the filthy sink. "Just tell them goodbye. Besides, it's not like you can't still talk to them. You can call them everyday if you'd like. Daddy might be able to even spare a plane ticket so you can watch them perform at their other competitions... C'mon, Rachel..."

"Well! If I didn't know any better, midget, I'd say Mr. Shuester has finally driven his kids crazy," a voice interrupted her monologue, startling Rachel as one of the stall doors opened and Coach Sue popped out, wearing a black and gold tracksuit for the day. She smirked confidently at Rachel as she approached a free sink and turned the water on. "Don't tell me you're going to go and come out as a schizophrenic with a song in mind that'll just put the cherry on the sundae that is...your terrible life."

"If you must know, Coach Sylvester," Rachel growled, glaring at her, "I will be leaving Lima this weekend to live elsewhere thanks to my Daddy getting a job opportunity. But I bet that makes you feel happy for yourself that New Directions will be losing a player, right? Everything you do is just an attempt to ruin Mr. Shuester's life. Well...since I have nothing else to lose, I just want you to know you are the most horrific teacher I've ever come across. You have done nothing to teach us whatever painful lesson you think you're expressing. I will be glad to be rid of you and I hope Mr. Shuester and New Directions pummel you and the Cheerios into the ground!"

Coach Sylvester didn't answer at first. Instead, she finished washing her hands and dried them with the paper towels available before she finally met Rachel's eyes, still smiling as calmly as ever. Instead of yelling at her and issuing her a detention for mouthing off to an instructor, Coach Sylvester suddenly wrapped her arms around Rachel in a warm embrace before backing away.

"Wha...what?"

"C'mon, kid, I ain't gonna waste my breath screeching at ya. I'm afraid you'll try and break out into some terrible song from Rent on how I'm more terrible than you presumed and I may as well just quit now while I'm ahead! Gotta say, though, you're giving me an unfair advantage. You leaving makes them weak. It'll be less fun trying to destroy them without having you belt out another song from a play I don't really care about. I will say this, however, and don't go off and try to tell anyone I have. You...are not as annoying as I thought. I will be sorry to see you go. Now...can you get out of the way? The stench of your sadness is stinking up the odor of my success."

Rachel sniffed and quickly moved, still in disbelief from this exchange from a teacher she has hated for so long. Coach Sylvester hummed as she walked by, pulling open the door and strolling out. Rachel looked at her watch again, startled to see she was five minutes late for Glee club practice. Biting her lip, she grabbed her bag and scurried from the bathroom and toward the choir room, the sounds of her flats hitting the tiled floor echoing off the walls.

"I'm here!" she heaved, grabbing her chest, "I'm so sorry for being late. Coach Sylvester held me up."

"No worries, Rachel," Mr. Shuester smiled, "go ahead and take a seat so we can get started. I have some great news!"

"Um...actually, M-Mr. Shuester," Rachel mumbled, setting her bag down on the piano, "I-I was hoping I can announce something myself. I promise to try and make it quick. I'm afraid if I wait I won't have the courage to say it after all."

Mr. Shuester could only stare at her. Used to her odd behavior, however, he smiled and nodded before he left to go take the empty seat beside a confused Finn. He smiled up at Rachel, encouraging her to continue. Whatever she had to say couldn't be too bad. They won Sectionals in their very first competition! Nothing she could say could ruin that, right? Everyone quieted down simultaneously, watching Rachel with expressions of calm relaxation. None of them were expecting what she said next.

"I...I'm leaving Lima this weekend. I won't be back. My father, he...his boss has moved his workplace to Mystic Falls, a town in Virginia. I'm afraid this means I'll be gone for good..." Rachel trailed off, fresh new tears filling her brown eyes, "I'm so sorry, everyone... I know, this is all probably sudden. I didn't even know until last night. Everything about this is short notice. I don't even get to finish my sophomore year."

The choir room had gone silent. The only thing making a sound was Rachel's quiet sobs as she attempted to wipe away the new tears beginning to fall. Nobody would've believed it, but Rachel never cried over nothing. Just when things seemed to be looking up for them after their win in Sectionals... They finally seemed to come together as a fully-fledged team. They worked together better than any other Glee club, they were sure. And now all of that was ruined.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Finn asked, getting up from his chair to approach her.

"I wanted to tell you all together. I'm so sorry, Finn," Rachel wiped her eyes furiously. "I don't know what else to say."

"Don't apologize, Rachel," Mr. Shuester said, getting up, "It's not your fault."

"Do you know when you'll be back?" Quinn asked, her own soft voice cracking as she caressed her swollen belly. She had been hoping Rachel would be there to see her with it. Ever since the news came out of Quinn's real baby daddy, Rachel has been trying her hardest to make it right for outing her without even consulting her about it. At first, it had been rather annoying having Rachel constantly follow her asking for forgiveness she didn't even need, but they slowly came close as friends.

Rachel shook her head. "They said it might be for as long as three years...that's long after we'll all be graduated. You know...I've been talking all this crap about how terrible Lima is...and now I'm crying because I'm finally leaving it. Isn't that silly?" She laughed as more tears leaked out. Finn embraced her tightly, placing his chin atop her soft, brunette head. The rest of the Glee kids all looked uneasy before they slowly inched their way out of their seats to approach her. In Artie's case, he just wheeled so he was closer.

"Rachel, we're...damn, girl, we sure as hell are gonna miss you," Mercedes said first, waiting for Finn to let her go so she could hug her next. "Can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm gonna miss arguin' with you all the time for solos. We always kill it when we do those duets together." Rachel laughed as she clung to her. "I'ma give you my number so you can call me from Virginia. I don't wanna hear that they're givin' you a hard time."

"Same from me," Kurt went next, hands on his hips, "Lima is losing one of its most accomplished divas. I have to say, it's actually a tragedy. But, Rachel Berry, this Mystic Falls will be gaining someone awesome. I just hope you'll at least attempt to wear something different there." He joined the hug with Mercedes. The others smiled; they were New Directions' three divas. If Rachel was staying, they were sure the three of them would form one hell of a friendship. Once the three separated, Brittany threw her arms enthusiastically around Rachel, tightening her hold so badly Rachel was sure she cracked a rib.

"I'm really sad you're leaving, Rachel. I still don't really like you, but I love it when you sing," Brittany admitted honestly.

Rachel laughed awkwardly and hugged her back. "Yes...thank you, Brittany."

Santana took her attention next. "Gotta say, Berry, you were really growing on me. Don't let them change you in Mystic Falls. You being an annoying, talented bitch is part of your charm. While, yes, it got on my damn nerves sometimes, I like that you didn't care. Make sure you still don't in Virginia." Rachel smiled and hugged her, the Latina cheerleader laughing in a friendly way as she hugged back.

Puck rubbed the back of his neck nervously as Rachel turned to him. Their history was complicated. They dated briefly just to make two people they really felt for jealous. After it was nothing but silence and occasional exchanges. He didn't know how he felt, really, about her leaving. He assumed he was hurt by the way his heart clenched painfully. He knows he doesn't have any romantic feelings for her, but they still had that platonic connection.

"I'm going to miss you, Noah," she smiled, placing a hand on his bicep. "Seeing you change from a big jerk to a singing jerk was truly something."

Puck smiled. "I'm gonna miss you, too. Don't let any guy down there treat you any differently, though. I can totally jack my mom's minivan to go beat the hell out of them." The others laughed as Rachel did, going as far as to hug him. He smiled, returning it wholeheartedly. It was a lot less hard to say that than he thought.

"I'm really gonna miss you, Rachel," Tina admitted, walking up to her as she let go of Puck. "Glee isn't ever gonna be the same again. I really wish we spent more time like this...together and all." Rachel smiled and hugged her, feeling the tears go from cold to warm. She never expected all of this warmth from them. It was foolish of her to think they'd be happy she was leaving. They weren't that cruel. They were the same as her. New Directions was a family.

"We were really hoping to teach you how to pop and lock," Mike chuckled as he and Matt stood side-by-side. "We're gonna miss you, Rach." The two hugged her simultaneously, practically hiding her smaller form with their bigger ones. Rachel wasn't really close with either of them, but she'd still miss them very dearly.

"I still find you exceptionally irritating," Artie said as she moved onto him, "but...it's gonna be a lot more irritating without you." Rachel grinned, bending down to embrace him. Artie was very interesting, plus he made riding around in a wheelchair look way easier than it was. She remembered the lesson Mr. Shuester tried to teach them by making them all ride them. It was extremely difficult.

Finally, it was down to the hardest three. Mr. Shuester, Quinn, and most of all, Finn. These three pretty much shaped her sophomore year entirely. It was going to be hardest not seeing them everyday. Rachel was sure she wouldn't find a teacher in Mystic Falls that cared about their students as much as Shuester did. As for Quinn, Rachel wished she could be there for when the baby comes. Quinn has come so far, and Rachel was very glad to be called her friend. And Finn...

She had spent all of her freshman year and this year being completely in love with him. She had craved for his attention. When he had joined Glee, she was sure she'd never feel happiness like that. When he came into the room, it was like Superman had arrived. Leaving him was like leaving your soul behind. Rachel had thought about doing the long distance thing all last night, but that wasn't fair to Finn. She understood he needed to be free to see other people, especially if she wasn't coming back anytime soon. While he still had her heart, she wouldn't be angry at him for it.

"I treated you like crap for nearly two years," Quinn's voice broke her from her thoughts. "After I finally see you're not as selfish as I thought...you have to go. I think the universe is trying to say something." She snorted sarcastically, her gaze leaving Rachel's to stare at the ground as she continued to caress her baby bump.

"It's telling you that you're an amazing person and you have changed into a wonderful human being. I wish I could stay, too. You becoming my friend is probably one of the best things to ever happen to me." Rachel said truthfully, "I'm...I'm gonna hug you now." Quinn giggled and pulled Rachel in for an embrace, being mindful of the baby. Rachel tried to keep her tears at bay now, but it was becoming a lot harder.

Mr. Shuester cleared his throat. Wiping her face, Rachel turned to face him.

"I have never met a student like you, Rachel Berry. You are kind, talented, and...everything I had looked for when I originally came up with New Directions. You have truly shaped us into who we are. We all have you to thank. I am going to miss you...so much." He coughed awkwardly as he wiped a tear that breached from his right eye. Rachel's mouth shook and she cried out as she threw her arms around him. Mr. Shuester returned the hug, rubbing the back of her hair lightly. Their hug lasted the longest so far. When they separated, Mr. Shuester stepped back and smiled at her. "We are definitely gonna have to dedicate our next setlist for Regionals to you."

"I would hope so," Rachel joked.

Finn had his hands shoved in his pockets with his own set of tears staining his cheeks. Rachel turned to him, her stomach practically doing a backflip. This was going to be the hardest of all. They had been through so much together that Rachel wasn't even sure she'd be able to say the words that were needed.

"Y-You know what comes next, don't you, Finn?" she mumbled.

"Don't say it..."

"I won't be back for a long time, Finn, and it's not fair to you. I'm not doing this because I want to. I'm doing it because I have to," she whispered, taking his bigger hands into her own. "I've never felt this way for any boy in my entire life. When I look at you, I see my future. I still do. I love you...and I want you to know the only reason New Directions is as amazing as it is...is because you decided to join it. I think it's safe to say for myself, Kurt, Mercedes, Tina, and Artie that we weren't anything until you came."

Finn's tears seemed to come down harder.

"I want you to call me everyday. In fact, call all of us. I don't want us to lose touch," he said. "I love you, too..." Rachel bit her lip and wrapped her arms tightly around him, failing at keeping her crying away since she was now bawling into his chest. Finn hugged her harder, kissing the top of her head. The others smiled sadly and joined in the hug, including Shuester. Their family would be losing someone very important to them.

"I think this calls for a number," Mercedes giggled as she wiped her eyes. "I think we all have something in mind. Rachel...why don't you sit down? I think it'd be better to send you off on a proper New Direction way." Rachel laughed and nodded, going to take her usual chair after flattening her skirt.

Quinn went to whisper something into Brian's ear while Artie went and spoke with the band. Then the music slowly started up. Rachel sniffed, knowing exactly the song they were doing. They all stood side by side, smiling down at Rachel with tearful smiles. Mr. Shuester stood off to the side with his arms crossed, but he had never looked more proud than he did then.

"_I will stand by you_," Finn and Quinn began first, "_even when you fall. I will be the rock, that holds you up and lifts you high so you stand tall._"

"_I won't let you go_," Mercedes sang next, smiling happily down at her, before Kurt joined for the next verse, "_No one can take your place. A couple fights and lonely nights. Don't make it right to let it go to waste!_" Rachel smiled, bringing a hand to her heart as she nearly cried harder.

The next verse, they all sang together, their lovely voices sticking to Rachel's hearts where they would stay, no matter what Mystic Falls did to her. "_I won't let you fall! I won't let you go! No matter where you are! No matter where you are, I'll be there! No matter where you are! No matter where you are, I'll be there!_"

Santana and Brittany joined hands, before turning their smiles to Rachel and singing, "_I will hold on to everything we've got! A quitter, a regretter, and forgetter is everything I'm not!_" Santana playfully blew a kiss to Rachel as they finished the verse with Santana's voice beautifully complimenting Brittany's.

Tina and Artie nodded their heads to Rachel knowingly, going next, "_I'll take care of you and love you just because! You and I are better than forever! Nothing can stop us!_"

Once more, the entire club came together for the chorus, "_And I won't let you fall! I won't let you go! No matter where you are! No matter where you are, I'll be there!_" Mike suddenly burst from the group, taking Rachel's hand and twirling her around in a quick step dance. Rachel's laugh was unheard as they continued to sing, "_No matter where you are! No matter where you are, I'll be there!_"

Rachel was twirled once more, suddenly flying into Puck's arms as he sang the next verse alone, "_We can be the generation who learns how to love. Mistakes and empty promises will never be enough!_" Rachel couldn't help but sing with him as he flung her around expertly, "_To tear apart the giant hearts that beat inside us now! Let's conquer the percentages and rise above the ground!_"

Puck suddenly moved so she stood in Finn's arms instead. That's where she stayed, swaying with him slowly with her head in his chest.

"_And I won't let you fall! I won't let you go! No matter where you are! No matter where you are, I'll be there!_" they all sang together, but Rachel felt as though it was just her and Finn. She smiled, pulling him closer. "_No matter where you are! No matter where you are, I'll be there!_"

"_No matter where you are_," her and Finn sang solely, _"No matter where you are I'll be there! I'll be there! I'll be there!_"

As the song ended, they all joined in a final group hug, exclaiming their goodbyes and sorrows. Rachel had never felt more loved. She was going to miss them infinitely. They talked for the remainder of the practice, Rachel stuck in Finn's arms as he continually pressed a kiss to her head. Soon enough, unfortunately, practice came to an end and everyone had to leave. Each of them gave Rachel a final hug, also giving her their number so they could call and text while she was in Mystic Falls.

She had no more tears left to cry after that. It was as if all the tears from before was all she had, but Rachel still felt the remorse. She would never be the same after losing her family. New Directions was everything to her and now it was ripped away. She knows she shouldn't blame her fathers, but now she just couldn't help it. They were taking her from something she loved.

"Let me drive you home," Finn offered quietly, stopping Rachel from texting her dad to pick her up. She looked up at him and nodded. Grabbing her hand, Finn waved at Mr. Shuester before walking her out of the choir room and toward the exit doors. Neither of them exchanged a word the entire way.

He opened the passenger door for her to his rusty truck his mother managed to get after Burt Hummel helped out with it. Rachel automatically buckled herself in, already knowing how Finn was when he drove. She knew he wouldn't kill them, but that didn't take a possible wreck off the table. Rachel shivered to even think about it. What made it worse was that she knew this would be her last time in the vehicle with him. If anything, this was the last time she would see him in person.

He started the truck and pulled out of the parking lot. Uncomfortable with the silence, Rachel switched on his radio, turning to a station that was blasting some old _Queen _song. It helped tune out the sadness and the awkwardness the two were displaying. Rachel desperately wanted to know what he was thinking, but she understood she needed to give him time.

Soon enough, they pulled in front of what would soon be her old home. Turning off the truck, Finn bowed his head as he let out a shaky breath. Rachel made no movement to leave. Instead, she stared at him longingly. Her heart pounded against her ribcage, pleading with her to say something. Anything! But nothing rushed to her lips. She didn't know what else she could say to help the situation.

"I've never loved anyone the way I love you," Finn suddenly said, breaking the silence. "I don't wanna break up. M-Maybe we can work out the long distance thing. I-I can get a job and save up so I can move to Mystic Falls after graduation. I could meet you there." Rachel smiled, unbuckling herself and sliding over so she could lean her head on his shoulder. He placed his arm over her shoulders, rubbing softly at her arm.

"I love you so much, Finn," she admitted honestly, "But...I'm not going to do this to you. I'll tell you what'll happen if we try that. Either you or me is going to find someone in Lima or Mystic Falls and we're going to catch feelings. At first, we'll attempt to ignore it. We would never want to hurt each other that way, but...eventually we'll act on those feelings. We won't be able to take that guilt away, Finn. I won't do that to you. I want you to be free to find whoever you want."

"But I want you..."

"And I want you," Rachel agreed, her eyes suddenly watering for what seemed the thousandth time that day, "but we both know we can't. I'm sorry..." He situated himself so he could hug her properly, crying into her hair while she sobbed into his neck. This was a lot harder than she thought it would be. Losing Finn was the one thing she never thought she'd have.

The two slowly looked at each other, both of their brown eyes now pink. Rachel bit her lip, before she leaned in and claimed his mouth with her own. His lips tasted of tears, but she didn't care. She wrapped her arms carefully around his neck, pulling him closer. Finn returned the kiss as best as he could, pulling her to him cradling the back of her head while his other hand roamed at her lower back.

The kiss lasted for about a whole minute before Rachel finally moved back.

"I love you, Finn Hudson," she declared proudly. "I'm going to miss you the most..." She pecked his lips a final time before grabbing the handle to her door and opening it. She carefully stepped out, waving to him a final time. Not wanting him to see her miserable face, she slowly turned and walked up to her front door. She felt her heart stay with him, the sound of his screeching tires leaving causing a whole other wave of sadness as she covered her face with both of her hands.

Her fathers must've heard her crying because the door suddenly opened.

"Oh, Barbra, what happened?" Daddy mumbled, instantly embracing his little girl. "LeRoy, she's crying."

"Yes, Hiram, I can see that," Dad responded, pulling the two inside. "I'll make her a glass of hot tea. She probably told New Directions goodbye. We knew this was coming." He disappeared into the kitchen while Hiram pulled her into their living area, rubbing her back softly. Soon, she was being cradled between the both of them while she attempted to down her tea whole. She couldn't get Finn's face out of her mind. The rest of New Directions and Mr. Shuester already seemed so far away.

Rachel was heartbroken, but she couldn't let it stop her from the rest of her packing and helping her fathers place all of their luggage into their cab early the next day. Rachel practically forced them to drive in front of McKinley on their way to the airport. She watched it longingly, reminiscing in all the drama, the happiness, and the music that occurred there. Mystic Falls would never be able to measure up to it. It was probably more boring than Lima.

Soon enough, they had arrived at the airport and moved quickly to get to their right gate. Rachel had already received four different text messages from Mercedes, Kurt, Puck, and Finn.

'_Have a safe flight, girl! Skype me and Kurt when you get settled in! We wanna see your face!'_

_'Please consult me for whatever outfit you're wearing on the first day at their school. I will not have you wearing that hideous pantsuit.'_

_'Hey, Rach, mind letting me know if they're any hot chicks in Mystic Falls?'_

_'I didn't get to say it last night, but...I love you, too. I'll always love you, Rachel Berry. Don't let Mystic Falls change you. You're always going to be a star.'_

Rachel held her phone to her heart as she boarded the plane. As they went to find their seats, her fathers were already arguing over something silly. Rachel paid them no mind, instead staring at her phone's screen as more and more texts revealed themselves from New Directions and how much she would be missed.

Mystic Falls was never going to become like Lima. It was quite possibly going to be an ordinary town that didn't even have a show choir, let alone anything Rachel legitimately liked. She was going to be bored out of her mind.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note**:_** The setting in the Vampire Diaries universe is in the first season after episode four. We obviously know the setting for Rachel's universe. This chapter is her interlinking with the two worlds of Vampire Diaries and Glee. I do hope you all enjoy. If you have anything to say, feel free to review! It's really appreciated!**_

* * *

The plane ride was a lot shorter than Rachel originally predicted, but that didn't take away from the initial sadness she still felt. Stuck between her two fathers, she tried to think of the bright side. If only the bright side wasn't stuck in Lima with all of her friends and boyfriend - er - ex-boyfriend. Rachel felt distressed, and she knew it would take a long while before she felt much of anything anymore. Her dad's boss managed to get them excellent seats, so she didn't have to suffer the plane ride next to a crying child, but she somewhat wished he made it so she wouldn't have to sit by her dads. She loved them to death, but she didn't want to hear about how great this opportunity was for LeRoy and how Hiram was finally going to be able to start his cocktail book club. Apparently none of the parents in Lima wanted to take part.

Rachel has never even heard of Mystic Falls, which meant it was probably as small as Lima was. She didn't understand why her father's boss wanted them to be stationed there if he wanted to branch out. She sort of wished they were put in New York instead. At least, in that case, she would be a lot happier than she was now. She thumbed at her cellphone, which was switched off. She wondered what her friends were doing right now. It was a Saturday, but she often took up trips to the Lima Bean with Mercedes or Kurt. She wondered if the two of them were going without her right now. The thought made her feel glum.

What came all too soon in a matter of an hour and two minutes, the plane landed and they were all issued to get up and get out. Rachel tried not to stumble over herself as she shuffled her way toward the exit, clinging to her carry-on. Her fathers talked merrily behind her, but she drowned their conversation out as best as she could. Instead, she quickly switched on her phone, desperate to see her friends' names pop up on the lit screen.

The airport wasn't as crowded as it probably should've been. Then again, this place wasn't much of a vacation spot, and Rachel was sure it had a population of an entire high school. Her fathers ushered her toward the luggage claim, talking about the two hour drive they'd have to endure to finally get to Mystic Falls. Rachel was definitely not looking forward to that.

Sure enough, she had five new texts, this time from Quinn, Santana, Kurt, Tina, and Finn once more.

'_Call me once you're in town? I'm a little curious about what Mystic Falls has to offer. Probably won't have a good enough show choir like us.'_

_'Text me once the plane lands! Wanna see what the hell is the big deal about Mystic Falls.'_

_'How's the weather over there? Better yet, how are the teens? Guarantee they don't throw slushies like ours do. Damn, you're lucky!'_

_'I hope you have a great first day over there, Rachel! We're already missing you!'_

_'I dunno if you're gonna get this because of the plane and all, but try and call or text me as soon as you can. I just wanna hear your voice... Lima already isn't the same. Tried to get Puck, Mike, and Matt over here to distract myself, but they didn't help much. I don't think any of them are feeling the way I do...'_

Rachel typed quick replies to all of them except for Finn. For him, she wanted to call personally. She was desperate to hear his voice as well. Smiling to herself and feeling a little more like the star from Lima, she happily helped her dads gather their luggage and shuffle it over onto a cart that they could move to the exit where they'd hail down a cab. As for their furniture and, more importantly, their cars, the movers said the latest they would be was tomorrow. Thankfully, that was long before LeRoy had to go back to work. As for Rachel and Hiram, the both of them had to go and get Rachel registered at her new school. That was the part she was most not looking forward to.

Rachel walked proudly behind them, as always walking like she was on a mission. Sad Rachel was nothing like the Rachel she strived to be. There was no turning back now. Her dad wasn't suddenly going to change his mind and decide to quit what was most likely the opportunity of a lifetime just to go back to Lima for Rachel's sake. She was being selfish. Besides, she still had her own way of talking to her friends. In a way, that mattered most to her. Mystic Falls would never take them away, no matter how hard it tried.

They managed to find a cab soon enough, throwing all of their luggage into the trunk and having to hold a few in their seats since they had a lot. This meant the two hour ride was going to be spent in a lot of discomfort. _Great. _Her fathers didn't seem all that worried, however. In fact, they were going on and on about who gets to decorate the bottom floor of the new home and who gets the top floor. Rachel remembered how bad an argument got when her daddy changed the wallpaper in the kitchen.

"Um, Dad?" she suddenly called.

"Yes, baby?" he asked, leaning over Hiram to get a better look at her. "Something wrong?"

"No, no, of course not. I was just...do you even know what Mystic Falls is like?" she asked, gripping her phone a little tighter.

He smiled, reaching over and taking one of her hands in his, squeezing it tightly. Hiram mirrored his husband by leaning over and pressing a kiss to his daughter's head. Rachel was used to the attention, so she didn't take it as much of a surprise. Really, she just wanted an answer. What if they threw something worse than slushies at her face?

"Mystic Falls is an old, old town from the 1800s. Apparently, they're very big with celebrations and whatnot. In fact, they've recently celebrated the founding families. Honey, I feel like it's the perfect place for us. It's a touch bigger than Lima and it's full of possibilities to help you on your way to New York. Just give it a chance," he said, squeezing her hand once more before he released it.

"New feeding grounds for your voice as well, honey," Hiram added, petting her hair, "I doubt they have a Glee club of their own, but that doesn't mean you can't find a way to perform." Rachel smiled and nodded. Maybe they were right. A new atmosphere called for even more eyes to her flawless talent. Singing was her passion; that was another thing this new town couldn't take away from her. She was willing to bet even they didn't have a singer like her. Good thing she wouldn't have to worry about another person trying to steal her spotlight.

The two hour drive went by a lot faster after that. Soon enough, they were passing a bridge and a sign that read '_Welcome to Mystic Falls'. _Across the bridge, she could see a long line of pure green trees as well as buildings that looked antique, but beautiful. Rachel couldn't help but admire the way they seemed to keep to their old town attributes. The people all seemed very happy; none of them looked like they would fling a slushy her way. What made it all the more better was that it seemed Mystic Falls had their own version of the Lima Bean called The Mystic Grill. That must be the teenager hangout, she guessed.

None of it had Lima's charm, but it was definitely something to look at. Rachel could picture herself amongst the other people, laughing and just being herself. She smiled. Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as she initially thought. The cab drove on, passing all the buildings and making a few turns before landing on a road of many two-story houses that looked eerily similar to each other. It was a lot better looking than Rachel's old home, however. She couldn't wait to call New Directions and tell them everything about this town.

Soon, the cab parked in front of a house that read '2102'. Their new street was deemed 'Floyd Street'. Biting her lip, she quickly got out from the cab and grabbed her luggage. Her brown eyes never left the house, afraid it would suddenly turn ugly and abandoned if she did. It was gorgeous! Smiling, she quickly rolled up to the front door, standing on her tip toes. Her fathers paid the cab quickly before taking the rest of their bags up to the door, mirroring Rachel's energy.

"Home sweet home," Hiram sang, "Do you think Barbra would visit this humble abode?"

"When her career takes a terrible turn, my dear," LeRoy replied, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a silver key. "I'll be sure to make copies for the both of you sometime tomorrow." With that, he pushed it into the lock and turned until it clicked. Eagerly, Rachel took charge and turned the knob, ripping it open and stepping inside.

It was perfect. What would soon be the living area had faux wood floors with yellow painted walls and what seemed to be a working fireplace with a shelf right above it for all of their pictures of baby Rachel. Off to the side was the kitchen which had a marble tiled wall along with similar floors. The island was huge and seemed extremely clean. There was also a wooden staircase that would lead them upstairs to what was probably the bedrooms and bathrooms.

"Go ahead and go choose your room, baby," LeRoy smiled, pushing her toward it. "We'll try and sort through all of this so we can find something dealable to sleep in before the movers come tomorrow with all of our things." Rachel nodded, leaving her bags downstairs with them as she rushed upwards.

The upstairs was a tad smaller than the first floor, but it still seemed very comfortable. It was carpeted flooring instead with about three bedrooms and one bathroom. Each bedroom seemed to have its own character, from what she could see. The one on the far left had a light blue coat of paint with two windows side by side. The walls seemed to have built in shelves and a ceiling fan already installed.

The one in the middle had beige wallpaper with only one window overlooking the side of the house. It was also slightly smaller than the first bedroom; Rachel would have to suggest to her dads that this be the guest room instead. None of them would want a room like this to themselves.

As for the last room, the walls were colored a light shade of purple, this floor being the only part not carpeted in their top floor so far. The closet was huge, and it had the biggest window that looked out into the front yard. This one was perfect for her. Biting her lip, she went and closed the door, admiring the way it looked altogether. She could picture all of her furniture and belongings in here. Besides, her dads hated purple.

Taking out her phone, she quickly dialed the first number she thought of, putting it on speaker and letting it ring.

"_Rachel?"_ Finn's voice called, forcing a wave of calm over Rachel. "_Did you land already? Are you there?"_

_"_Actually, I'm already standing in my room. Call me stupid, but I actually think this place will make a good home, Finn. The town is lovely, and the people all look so nice. I doubt it'll ever measure up to Lima's incredible atmosphere, but I feel I won't be too unhappy. I only wish you all could be here with me."

She heard him chuckle.

"_Me, too. I miss you so much already. Have you met anybody there?"_

Rachel sat down on the window seat that was positioned underneath the giant, translucent thing, pulling her knees up to her chest. "No, not yet. I fear I won't see anybody until Monday after I register tomorrow. I think that's the part I'm most fearful over. Honestly, Finn, you'd think they're gearing up to slushy me, too. I have to remember McKinley is the only horrid place that loathes their talented students that much."

"_They'll love you, Rach. Do they have a Glee club? Do you know?"_

"No, I don't. I doubt they do, though. No matter. I can still perform elsewhere. My dad told me they have a lot of celebrations here, mostly celebrating the founding families. While we're pretty much fresh blood to the town, I think they'll be very welcoming."

"_I sure hope so. Quinn's called me, like, a thousand times. She's worried about you. I think the baby isn't helping much either. We all miss you."_

"I miss you all, too. It almost hurts physically, honestly. But I believe I'm being a little unfair to Dad. This job opportunity could do wonders for him. He might even be able to create a crafts room for Daddy like he's always wanted. I just hope the kids aren't as cruel as they were at McKinley. It would be unfortunate to run into another Karofsky."

"_You'll be fine! I believe in you. And...I've asked Mr. Shuester to record our Regionals performance off my phone, so he can send it to you. We're dedicating the entire performance to you. Kind of like...a Rachel Berry homage. Whatever that means. I'm just going off of what Kurt said to me."_

Rachel laughed, holding the phone away so she wouldn't accidentally make him go deaf. She missed Finn's dorkiness. She just wished she could see his face. They continued to talk about other things, trying to avoid the subject at hand. Rachel felt that if they just avoided all of the sad stuff, everything would be fine. She didn't want to be a mopey teenager her entire time in Mystic Falls. She wanted to be the person she knew she was.

Soon, they seemed to be going on for about an hour. Rachel's cheeks were sore from so much smiling and laughing. He had that affect on her. However, their conversation was quickly interrupted by her door opening and Daddy appearing. He looked a little surprised to see her smiling, but he put that thought away by saying, "Hey, sweetie, it seems we've made some noise being here. Neighbor's come over to visit. She's about your age. Why don't you go meet her?"

"But...Daddy, I'm on the phone with Finn," Rachel mumbled, quickly switching her phone so Finn couldn't hear their exchange.

"I understand, but if you want to start off your first day at school with friends, I suggest you go downstairs and introduce yourself. It was like looking in the face of Victoria Justice. I'm sure you'll love her. Tell Finn you'll call him later." With that said, he disappeared from her doorway, giving her no more room to argue.

Sighing heavily, she switched the phone from hold and speaker. Pulling it to her ear, she said, "Hey, Finn, I have to go. The neighbor's come to visit and Daddy's forcing me to go down and introduce myself. Can I call you later tonight?" Finn easily agreed, eager that she was already making friends. Smiling, Rachel hung up and quickly made her way for the stairs and trotted down.

Her dad was standing at the doorway, talking happily with someone standing on the other side. As Rachel approaches, she sees it's a girl about her age. She was...beautiful, to put it bluntly. Her skin was tanned and her eyes a light brown. She had a button nose and full pink lips. Her hair was straight and long, cascading down to her torso. She was wearing a purple tank-top with a jean jacket over it, dark skinny jeans covering her long legs. Her feet were stuck in cute designer boots. Overall, she looked like a girl that Santana and Brittany would definitely get along with.

"Hi! You must be Rachel Berry," she greeted with a raspy voice, "I was just talking with your father! He's told me...a lot about you in the space of just three minutes. I'm Elena Gilbert, I live next door." She held a hand out, to which Rachel slowly took to shake. She flinched, feeling a sudden spark ignite like electricity. The two jerked away. "Woah! Ha! That was weird! Um...I heard we were getting new neighbors, so I thought I'd pop by. It's unfortunate that you had to come a few days after the Founder's party! That would've totally been the perfect place to meet everyone."

"Yeah, unfortunate," Rachel agreed, smiling. "Um...so...are you a sophomore, or...?"

"Oh, no, I'm a junior! But, if you're anything like me, we probably have a really similar mindset. Uh, actually, I was hoping to show you around town! It's best to know where all the cool places are before you try to hit it. Wanna come?" Elena smiled hopefully. Rachel bit her lip, turning to look at her dad for permission. He just smiled calmly and nodded. With that, Rachel quickly ran to grab her jacket from her open luggage and went to follow Elena out the door.

It was comfortable to be in her presence, despite just meeting her. She seemed to have that affect.

"So...what's the impression Mystic Falls gives you?" she asked, grinning down at Rachel. At times like this, she wished she wasn't five foot two.

"Well...I enjoy how they keep to their familiar roots of early designed buildings. Particularly, I enjoy the little shops downtown; I'll have to visit them soon. Back in Lima, the best thing we had was a mall. At that, they only hired the delinquents because nobody else wanted to work there. We had...three fires," Rachel coughed awkwardly. "I hope my dad didn't make a bad impression."

"No, not at all! He was cool! Not a lot of parents are that theatrical, though, I'll admit."

"What are your parents like?"

Elena's face suddenly fell, her brown eyes leaving Rachel in favor of the sidewalk before them. Rachel felt the subject had turned sensitive. She mentally slapped herself. She was so stupid! Why could she never say the right thing? She always seemed to bring silence to a room when she wasn't singing. Now she knew why.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?"

"No, no! Um...my parents passed away last spring in...in a car crash. I was the only one who survived. It's still a bit of a sore subject, but...what can you do?" Elena laughed it off, but Rachel could sense it still bothered her. She decided not to bring it up again. "So! If you're starting school Monday, I should introduce you to my friends! There's a big group of us, really. There's me, Caroline, Bonnie, Matt, Tyler, and Stefan as of now."

"That's...a lot of names to remember. But I'm very happy to be included!" Rachel said, hands shoved into the pockets of her skirt.

"Awesome! Just for a little background...Caroline is a little...intense. She's very, very sweet, and she's an awesome person, but she can sometimes get a little sensitive over a lot of things. Bonnie's the best. She's loyal, kind, and so compassionate. It's hard not to like her. Matt's also very sweet. He, um...he and I used to date before...the accident happened. So if you sense any kind of weirdness, just know it's totally not because of you. Matt's the type of guy who would leave in the middle of the night if you have a flat tire. Tyler's kind of...the opposite. He's a bit of an ass, but he's alright once you get to know him. And Stefan...he's my...well we're..."

Rachel smiled. "I'm not unfamiliar with the topic of boyfriend and girlfriend. Is Stefan appealing?"

Elena smiled. "Please. Drop dead gorgeous...but I see him as so much more. He's sweet and mysterious...I just wish he'd tell me everything, but it's like he's afraid, you know? He's got this older brother, Damon...he just forced him out of town after a situation with Caroline. Damon was totally bad news. I'm glad he's left."

"Well, at least I won't be subdued to meeting him, then," Rachel smiled. "But your friends and boyfriend all sound absolutely lovely. I can't wait to meet them Monday." She was being honest. It was good to make some friends, especially so early in the move. She no longer had to worry about being the lonely new girl that was bound to be shoved to the back. The others back home would be so proud of her.

"Why wait?" she asked. "Do you have dinner plans tonight?"

Rachel looked surprised. "Well...my dads and I are accustomed to strictly take-out, so unless Chinese food counts as dinner plans... Why do you ask?"

Elena smirked and didn't answer. Instead, she lifted her phone and began typing. Then she grabbed Rachel's hand and suddenly pulled her to what Rachel could only guess was her house. It looked somewhat like her own new home. They approached the silver vehicle outside, the small beep coming from it telling Rachel it was now unlocked.

"Where are we going?" she asked as Elena moved around to the driver's side.

"The Grill. The others will meet us there. Wanna tell your dads?"

Rachel bit her lip and glanced back at her house. This was a little forward. But she wasn't about to pass up on the opportunity to meet new people. This ensured a group to stay around with during her school hours. She quickly took her cellphone from her bag and texted her father she was going out to eat with Elena before she quickly pulled herself into the car.

Elena listened to good music. While it strayed from Broadway and showtunes roots, it was still modern and recognizable enough for Rachel to bob her head to the beat. She smiled, singing quietly along as she watched the houses and buildings pass by. She tried to memorize the twists and turns so she'd know her own way to the Grill from her home.

Soon, they pulled in front of it. The sun was already going down, so it was coated in a light, fluorescent glow, giving it a sort of homey feel. Rachel smiled as she stepped out from the car and followed Elena inside. It was warm and a little crowded with everyone inside. Heads turned and stayed, watching Rachel specifically since she was a newcomer to the town. She tried to ignore the gazes as she followed Elena toward the back where there seemed to be a couple of pool tables available for customers to play. To the side there was also a bar with a variety of drinks lining up the walls for people to choose from. The Lima Bean wasn't as...comfortable as this was.

"Hey, guys!" Elena greeted, approaching a group of teenagers their age. Rachel felt a little put out, rubbing her arm uncomfortably as she watched Elena walk up to one guy in particular, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. If that was Stefan, Elena was right. He was drop dead gorgeous. He was muscular with a long, angular face. His eyes were brown and kind, with big luscious hair to match. Rachel looked over the others, smiling uncomfortably. All of their eyes were on her. This was weird. For someone who was used to performing in front of thousands of people, why was she so anxious being in front of a couple kids?

"Elena!" the blonde called. She looked like a real live Disney princess. Her hair was bright and platinum while her eyes were an icy blue. Her figure was thin and shapely, like a pear. She dressed like she was going in for a fashion shoot. "Who is this?"

Elena turned in Stefan's arms, smiling toward Rachel and beckoning her forward.

"New kid! Remember when Mayor Lockwood announced a new family coming to town? Rachel Berry, meet everyone. That's Caroline, Matt, Tyler, Bonnie, and this...this is Stefan." Elena grinned up at her significant other, who mirrored it happily. Rachel bit her lip, raising an awkward hand to wave.

"Rachel Berry?" Caroline repeated it, before smiling and approaching Rachel like a lion would its prey. She was an intimidating figure. "Of course! I remember him talking about the family. Well...it's nice to meet you, Rachel, I'm Caroline." She put her hand out like Elena had. Smiling, Rachel took and shook it. This was getting a little easier than she had predicted.

"Well, damn...guess Ohio does their chicks pretty good," one of the males grinned. He was the shorter of the three with dark, short-cut hair and dark eyes. He reminded Rachel a lot of Puck. She flushed embarrassedly, shaking her head and turning to Elena for an answer. This couldn't possibly be the Matt she was gushing over earlier.

"Rachel, meet Tyler," Elena said apologetically.

"Hello, Tyler," Rachel smiled uncomfortably, taking his hand in hers to shake. He grinned obnoxiously. Well, every group had their bad egg. Plus, maybe Rachel was just jumping to conclusions. This was the first time she is meeting these people. She should be the one being judged rather than them, considering she was a new face.

"I'm Bonnie, local friend, fantastic advice-giver," Bonnie grinned. "It's really good to know that it's a girl coming into Mystic Falls than another dude. I'm looking at you, Tyler." He rolled his eyes. Rachel liked this girl. She seemed easy to get along with. Her skin was dark, her hair long and caramel with her eyes a hazel green. She was almost as short as Rachel was with a fashion sense similar to Elena's. Like the other two, she also held a hand out for her to shake. Rachel happily took it.

Bonnie suddenly went rigid.

Rachel felt the girl's hand tighten over hers, her eyes focusing heavily on Rachel's as if she were some horror movie she couldn't look away from. Rachel tried to pull her hand away, her hand beginning to hurt and feeling a tad creeped out. After another tug, Bonnie blinked several times and finally let her go.

"I'm sorry, I...I just..." she sputtered. "Actually, Elena, it's getting really late. I have to help my Grams with something. Um...it was really, really nice to meet you, Rachel. I'll see you Monday." She grabbed her bag that was sitting on a free pool table before skillfully walking around Rachel and toward the exit.

She felt like she did something wrong, biting her lip as she watched her go.

"Wh-What'd I do?" she squeaked.

"Oh, that's just Bonnie. She spazzes out sometimes. You'll get used to it," Caroline laughed, before pointing to the final guy. "This is Matt."

"Uh, hi, hey," he greeted smiling as he took her hand. He didn't go rigid the way Bonnie had. "I'm Matt, obviously. It's really cool that we're getting another kid out here. You'll like Mystic Falls. There's a lot we do for events and stuff. Plus the Grill's a pretty chill place to just sit and talk at."

"That sounds riveting," Rachel said. "It's really nice to meet all of you. I have to admit I was a little frightened about being left behind. My anxiety has been up a lot since we left Lima. I must admit, despite its complete lack of character and the fact that it's a place people usually stay in after graduation...it was home. It was really hard leaving everyone."

"Sounds like you left a boy behind, specifically," Caroline observed, just before she seized Rachel's wrist, "Tell me everything!"

Elena and Stefan laughed.

"Before you go into the woes of ex boyfriends," he interrupted, sliding around Elena to grasp her hand. "I'm Stefan Salvatore. I've actually just moved back here recently, so don't feel like you're alone with all the new things here." Rachel smiled. His voice was calming. She wondered if he could sing at all.

"Okay, okay, enough introductions!" Caroline huffed, pulling Rachel so they stood face to face on the small table. Rachel was glad it wasn't high enough to surpass her small height.

"Okay, um...there was a guy. Finn Hudson. Sophomore, too. He was...the star quarterback...the Superman of McKinley High. He was a bit doofy, but he meant well. He was dating the head cheerleader, Quinn Fabray, but I just knew we were meant for each other, you know? Well...she fell pregnant and the stress got high. Before I knew it, I figured out he wasn't the father. Selfishly, I told him the truth and it just spiraled out of control. Eventually, I managed to get Quinn to forgive me and Finn to...to be with me. Around that time my dad got the news we had to move for his job."

Caroline stared at her for a long time, before she caressed her hand sympathetically, "Oh my gosh, I totally get you. It's like we were separated at birth. We totally need to go over more details, but I don't wanna keep these guys out of the loop." She glanced at the other four with a shy grin.

"So, Rachel, did you do anything special in Lima?" Matt asked, decided to pipe in. Him and the other three surrounded the table as well so they could be included in the conversation. "Were you in, like, any sports?"

Rachel shook her head. "I was actually the female lead in our Glee club. We were...exceptional."

"What the hell's a Glee club?" Tyler asked.

"Show choir, basically. We all sing together in competitions from Sectionals to Regionals to Nationals. It was a really big deal, seeing as my dream is to sing and all. We had just won Sectionals...I won't be able to see us to Regionals. I hate to sound immodest, but I'm very worried about their chance without me. If they have Quinn or Santana sing lead, their range isn't as advanced as my own. They might be able to advance if they have Mercedes..." She trailed off, seeing all of their confused faces. Giggling nervously, she continued, "Sorry, I'm blabbering. My mind's still in Lima. New Directions, our club, was really important to me."

"We can see that," Matt chuckled.

"So you sing?" Stefan asked.

Rachel smiled and nodded. "Not to sound arrogant, but I'm really good."

"We have to hear you sometime," Caroline sighed, before her eyes widened and she suddenly began hopping up and down. "Oh my gosh! The bikini charity wash!"

Elena looked confused. "Um...what?"

"She could perform for everyone there! Yeah, I can totally get the AV club to set up a little mini stage for her! She can reel in customers like nobody's business! Ugh, it's like a godsend!" Caroline clapped her hands together. "Of course, I'd stray away from Broadway songs. If you wanna bring in some hot eye candy, go in the direction of, like, Britney Spears or Kesha."

Rachel blushed. "What? Wait...so...do I perform in front of everyone? What if they don't like me? This is Mystic Falls...not Lima."

"Oh, please, think of it like an initiation! It'll be perfect! Plus it'll give you a chance to showcase your talents to all of us!"

Rachel looked at the others, studying their faces. They seemed in on it. She gave a slow nod. Caroline cheered happily, clapping her hands together excitedly.

"So...are we gonna actually eat or just sit here?" Elena asked jokingly. "C'mon, Rachel, let's go get something to chew on." Rachel quickly followed her to the bar, where she assumed is where they'd ask for certain foods. She felt a lot lighter than she had moments ago when she was worried they wouldn't like her.

"So? What do you think?" Elena asked.

"They're all great. But, um...is that Bonnie girl okay?"

Elena nodded. "She'll be fine. Just wait for the carwash tomorrow. You can talk to her more there. Plus, Bonnie loves music. You singing will ease any tension. Caroline's right. Sometimes she just gets a little weird, but she means well. I really wish my brother was here to meet you. I bet you'd guys get along, too."

"What's your brother's name?"

"Jeremy. Jeremy Gilbert. He's a bit of a...loner, but he's really, really sweet once you get to know him. Plus he's an even better brother than Stefan's is...was."

"Yeah, about him...what did he do that was so terrible?"

"He was a complete ass, often trying to drive a wedge between me and Stefan for no reason. Apparently they had an ex-girlfriend they unknowingly shared. It caused this rift between the two of them. What made it worse was the fact that he was hurting Caroline while they were supposedly 'together'," Elena explained.

Rachel blinked several times.

"Well! That's a lot to take in..."

"Yeah, but don't worry. Like I said, Stefan made him leave. You won't ever have to meet him."

Rachel smiled warmly. "Awesome!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Hello, everyone! I'm back with another update! I hope you enjoy this one as well. It's really neat getting to have Rachel interact with these other characters. I have a lot in store for her in Mystic Falls. I hope you'll all enjoy her long journey into the secrets the town holds.**

* * *

Rachel was startled awake by the sound of a loud car horn blaring right outside her window in the front yard. She sat up from her spot on the floor, wrapped up comfortably in her pink comforter she had situated the night before to act like a sleeping bag. It wasn't terrible, but she would much rather sleep in a bed. Rubbing her eyes, she looked up toward her window, squinting as harsh sunlight blared angrily into her eyes. Ridding herself of her makeshift sleeping bag, she stood up and stumbled to the great window, carefully peering out to see who broke her from her slumber. The culprit took the form of two huge moving vans. Rachel smiled eagerly. The movers had arrived with all of their things!

She yawned, slowly sitting up to see what a mess her new room had become. She had her luggage thrown lazily about, her cellphone right beside her head since she had stayed up a majority of the night talking to Finn. She told him about the new kids she met, the bikini charity wash, and Bonnie's weird interaction with her. He sounded so happy for her, but she could tell he was a little put off that she was already meeting new people. Rachel knew it was selfish to think of, but she wondered if he was a little jealous she was making new friends. But that couldn't be it.

Rushing to pull on her slippers, she bounded from her new bedroom toward the stairs and making her way down. The front door was already wide open, welcoming in the movers as they lugged their couch, beds, and other furniture without much of a struggle since they all had bulging muscles underneath their white polo shirts. Daddy saw her first from his position at the door, watching interestedly as one of the bigger men pulled in two of their kitchen chairs. He was sipping at a coffee mug.

"Rachel, honey, you're up!" he exclaimed in greeting. "I'm sorry, did we wake you?"

"Yes, kind of, but that's okay! I need to be up anyway. I was invited to go somewhere today with my new friends. Caroline gave me the address and everything. Would it be alright if I took the car?" She knew the movers had brought the cars, too. She did not want to walk in this blistering heat. Plus, she didn't know how far it really was on foot; considering her lack of direction, Rachel would probably get herself lost.

"Yes, of course, sweetheart. Your father already took off this morning. They need him to sort out his office and get to know the staff. Plus, he'll be making copies of our house key." he smiled, "You'll have to drop me off at the Lockwood mansion, though. LeRoy received a very friendly call inviting us for tea. I figured it'd be rude if neither of us showed up, so I'll have to be the one to arrive. You don't mind, do you?"

"No, Daddy, of course not," Rachel laughed. "Um...let me go get changed."

She bounded up the stairs back toward her bedroom, locking the door behind her in case one of the movers would attempt to go inside with her things. She'd only be a minute, really. She pulled herself into the window seat, grabbing the luggage along with her to go through it and find something suitable to wear.

Caroline had explained last night while they all munched on wings(Rachel substituted from eating the God awful meat for a fruit salad instead) that she needed to wear something truly popping. While she didn't have to wear a bikini because she'd be performing rather than washing, Caroline still told her she needed to wear something that would make the guys want to crawl on the stage and ravage her. That made her particularly nervous. But she was really eager to make sure these new kids stayed as her friends. She hated the thought of being by herself.

Taking her phone, she switched it on and quickly dialed a number for one person who could help her with a situation like this.

"_Fellow diva, here!" _Kurt chirped eagerly on the other line, "_What can I do for you?"_

_"_I need your help," Rachel stated, placing it on speaker before putting the phone off to the side. "I met a few kids last night and I've already been invited to a new function today. If I want to fit in, I can't possibly fight going."

"_Wait, wait, wait! Slow down! Who are these kids? You barely landed in Virginia yesterday and you're already making friends?"_

_"_I know! But they're all so friendly! Plus, we landed pretty early and we got in Mystic Falls before it even got dark. We were bound to meet someone. Anyway, my next door neighbor is named Elena Gilbert. She came in wanting to introduce herself, but she decided to introduce me to her companions and...how could I refuse? School starts tomorrow and I could've simply found my way to being that lonely girl who sings showtunes under her breath. Nope! New town means new Rachel Berry!"

"_Love the attitude! That'll definitely sit well. Confidence is key, Rachel, so keep it up! Before I even try to help in whatever situation you've gotten yourself into...tell me about the kids there. There any cute guys?" _

"Well...I suppose I should start from the beginning. Um...Elena's really nice. She's also incredibly beautiful. My fathers described her as a Victoria Justice look-a-like," Rachel giggled, continuing to thumb through her clothes, "There's also Caroline Forbes. She's a little scary, but she seems sweet. She was the one to invite me to the charity thing today. Matt Donovan...cutie, nice, and he's also a football star apparently. Don't tell Finn I said that. Tyler Lockwood, son of the mayor in Mystic Falls. Him and Puck could be twins for both appearances and attitudes. Stefan Salvatore, Elena's boyfriend. Kurt, he is like a real prince or something. He just looks so handsome! Plus he's really nice. Elena's a very lucky girl! And...Bonnie Bennett..."

"_Okay, so far, so good... What's wrong with the Bonnie girl?"_

_"_Well, at first she seemed really cool. If anything, she reminded me a lot of Mercedes and Tina, but as soon as she touched my hand it was like I shocked her or something. Then she started freaking out and made up some silly excuse just to leave. I'm supposed to see her today, but I'm worried my first impression will keep her from interacting with me."

"_Just calm down. I'm sure you're fine! As long as you don't pull a full Rachel Berry speech, they should love you! Okay, so what's the function you need help with?"_

_"_Well, it's a bikini charity car wash or something like that. I refuse to show my body off in that way, especially since I won't be washing cars. I'll be performing-"

"_You'll what? Rachel Berry, you've been there not even a day and you're already betraying us?"_ Kurt teasingly scolded.

"Oh, ha ha! C'mon, Kurt, I'm serious! I want to make a good impression, but Caroline is insisting I wear something revealing! All I have are cardigans and pencil skirts!" Rachel, for once, was unhappy with her fashion choices. No wonder she was constantly bullied back in McKinley. She dressed like a Catholic girl trying to impress the nuns.

"_Hm...what about that outfit I tricked you into wearing when you were trying to capture Finn's attention?"_

Rachel scowled. "I'm serious, Kurt."

"_So am I! Don't wear the stupid catsuit; just shimmy on that little outfit! It'll just be for today! Do you remember how we did your make-up?"_

_"_Yeah?"

"_Do that, too! Trust me, they'll all be putty in your hands. It'll definitely make that Caroline girl happy, too. I've gotta run. 'Cedes wants me to help her with a new number. Shuester's having her take female lead for Regionals. She's really excited about it," _Kurt even sounded pretty happy about it. Rachel frowned, her heart twinging uncomfortably and her stomach sinking. She couldn't feel this way. She was no longer in New Directions; they had to do whatever it took to win.

"Tell her I said she's going to bring the house down, Kurt. And thank you for the help. I'll tell you how it goes after," Rachel smiled. With that, she hung up the phone and dug around her luggage for a bit until she found the black outfit Kurt had gotten for her. Originally, it was to trick Finn into ignoring Quinn so he could pay attention to her, even if Kurt's intentions weren't pure when he 'helped' her. But it did make heads turn. A lot of the guys were eyeing her way. This would be perfect for the wash.

She quickly moved around now, getting ready and straightening her hair so it was more tamed and less frizzy. Soon enough, she was gazing at herself in the bathroom mirror, turning this way and that. Daddy would murder her if he saw her wearing this, so she went to throw on a large grey cardigan along with a pair of loose jeans to hide it. Making sure not a speck of the sultry black was seen, she grabbed her phone and rushed downstairs, seeing the living room already almost finished with the movers. It was lucky she finished when she did because they were starting to bring her bedroom stuff in.

"You sure you don't want to stay until they leave?" Rachel asked.

"No, we'll just be in the way. You look cute. Let's go!" He dumped the rest of his coffee into the sink before grabbing the car keys and following her out. He shouted a quick, "We'll be leaving, Gerald, just finish what you can! I left a tip and some cookies for all of you on the counter! You're all wonderful!" With that said, he followed Rachel out to the Armada, slipping into the passenger side while Rachel crawled into the driver's. Soon, they were pulling out of their driveway and toward the Lockwood mansion, Daddy giving her directions the whole way.

Mystic Falls wasn't exactly a maze, but it was easy for newcomers to become lost. Daddy even struggled to remember the address. Soon, however, they were driving down the pathway to a beautiful mansion that looked as though it could house all of New Directions, plus Rachel's new friends and still have more room. The lawn was a lively green and perfectly cut so it didn't look unattended. Off to the side, she could see a large pond with clear blue waters that played home to beautiful swans floating up ahead. She slightly understood why Tyler was such a jerk; he was probably spoiled rotten thanks to his parents.

"Alright, sweetheart," Daddy grunted as she pulled toward the front, "I'll probably have LeRoy pick me up once I'm finished. I'm hoping I can convince lovely Carol to open up a liquor cabinet. It is Sunday, after all. You have fun with your new friends. I'm really glad my little girl is branching out so early in the move. I love you." He pressed a kiss to her head before he opened the door and stepped out of the car.

"I love you, too," she replied, smiling happily toward him. Looking up, she noticed a woman step out from the huge oak doors, baring a bright sundress and many jewels lining her throat and ears. She waved eagerly at Rachel's father, looking very excited for the company. Rachel smiled amusedly; they seemed like they'd both get along. They both appeared to be socialites.

Making sure he got inside safely, Rachel carefully reversed from the Lockwood home and quickly turned around, now trying to find her way to the carwash. It shouldn't be too hard. If Caroline's exaggerations were in any way correct, it'd easy to spot it by just the foot traffic. Apparently a lot of people in Mystic Falls were excited for this. With how beautiful Caroline, Bonnie, and Elena were, it was no surprise.

The sun was shining hot down on the ground, making it the perfect day. Rachel was still slightly nervous about performing in a place she hasn't even spent a full day in, but first impressions needed to be made. Maybe once they saw how good she could sing, they'd like her a lot faster than people did in Lima. As arrogant as Rachel was, even she understood she could be a little much sometimes. Her high maintenance tendencies usually drove people away.

She drove for another fifteen minutes before she finally saw the homemade sign for the carwash as well as the many people pulling up. Many girls were shirtless, wearing bikini tops and short shorts. Some guys were even helping out, baring their muscled torsos as they removed their t-shirts. Rachel carefully pulled in, parking a few ways away from the main spot. Biting her lip, she watched everyone for a little bit, trying to muster whatever amount of courage she didn't have. Glancing down, she slowly began to peel off the outer clothes so she could get down to the more tasteful outfit. Smoothing out the black top, she took a deep breath. She could do this, she could do this, she could do this!

Smiling to herself, she opened the door and took the car keys as she stepped out. Slamming the door shut, she placed her hands confidently on her hips and quickly approached the table towards the front where she could see Elena sitting handling the money. Caroline was at her side, seeming to be explaining the roots to her. Once they both spotted Rachel, however, their conversation was forgotten.

"Oh my goodness! That's what I'm talking about!" Caroline squealed, clapping her hands together. "That looks so good! Do you have your songs in mind? The AV club provided like some kind of sound system, so you'll be able to work with that. Elena kindly loaned over her brother so he could help with changing the music so you won't have to step down every time."

Rachel smiled nervously. "Sounds...awesome! Hey, Elena."

Elena gave her a kind smile. "Hey, Rach. Looking good! You look like you're ready for this! I can't wait to hear you perform. This place could use a little music. And...if you take requests, I'm a huge Taylor Swift fan."

"I'll definitely take that in mind," Rachel said, nodding to her. With that, Caroline grabbed her hand and quickly began weaving her through the crowd of cars and scantily clad women in order to get to the pick-up truck that had its back opened so Rachel could climb up. A microphone was carefully placed on top with two speakers on each side. To the side of the truck was a small desk with a computer sitting astride it, many cables going in and out of it. A younger boy seemed to be distracted as he typed at the keyboard. He was tall and lanky with shaggy brown hair and puppy-dog like brown eyes. He wore darker clothes, and Rachel could see his fingernails were painted black.

"Jeremy! This is Rachel Berry, the girl performing," Caroline said, catching his attention with a start. He looked up at Caroline, before his eyes moved to Rachel and his eyes widened with his cheeks turning a deep red. Rachel felt a little uncomfortable with the sudden attention, but she had to remember what she was wearing. She was sure if she decided to wear one of her sweaters and skirts he would not have reacted that way. The reaction was still flattering, however.

"Uh, hi. I'm Jeremy Gilbert," he introduced, leaning over the computer to eagerly shake her hand.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Rachel...as Caroline said. Um...so you'll be helping me with the music and things?"

He nodded. "I'm alright with a computer. Caroline just couldn't find anyone else to do it."

Caroline scowled. "Don't make me take the twenty bucks from you, Jeremy. Okay, Rachel, just climb on up there and tell him what song you'll want to do first. I have to get back to work. And don't worry about scruffing up the truck or anything. It's Matt's. He kindly lent it to us." Winking, she flipped her hair and walked away back toward the white table where Elena was at.

"Here, let me help you up there," Jeremy offered, sidling away from the table and approaching her. He held out a hand, allowing her to take it as she lugged herself onto the bed of the truck, stumbling for a moment since the heels she was wearing weren't much help to her 'stage'. Once he made sure she wasn't about to fall off, he made his way back to the laptop.

She looked around. Hardly anybody was really looking her way. She didn't expect them to. Biting her lip, she gripped at the microphone, wincing as it gave off a loud ringing. Waiting for it to stop, she turned to Jeremy and hissed a few words, smiling as he nodded and quickly typed into his computer, before switching on the speakers for her voice to be carried throughout the parking lot. This was going to either be extremely humiliating or extremely helpful.

"Hey!"

Rachel looked up, still feeling slightly nauseous. She relaxed once she saw it was just Matt, hands in his pockets as he approached her.

"Matt, hello! Oh, uh...I should thank you for lending your truck for this. I really appreciate it. I feel this is the perfect opportunity for me to showcase my talents and really bring my name to light for those who don't know the Berry family just yet," she said, moving the microphone out of the way. It would be a joke if they heard her mantra.

"Oh, please, it's no problem! I can't wait to see what you can do!" Matt grinned, shrugging coolly. Rachel smiled and saluted to him teasingly before turning to Jeremy and giving him a firm nod. He sent her a soft smile before typing into the laptop and the music quickly filling the speakers, waiting for Rachel to add her voice to the mix.

"_You won't find him drinking under tables!" _she began, her heart beating slightly faster, "_Rolling dice or staying out till three! You won't ever find him being unfaithful! You will find him, you'll find him next to me!"_

She smiled, growing more comfortable the faster the lyrics came to her. Performing was always easiest for her. She was in her element when it came to it. Jeremy smiled encouragingly to her from his spot at the laptop while Matt smiled in a dazzling way, throwing a fist into the air before he went to join his buddies washing a particularly dirty Mustang.

She could see people were bobbing their heads to the beat, enjoying the addition of music to the atmosphere. New Directions would be so proud of her.

"_You won't find him trying to chase the devil! For money, fame, for power, out of grief! You won't ever find him where the rest go...you will find him. You'll find him next to me," _she closed her eyes, swaying in the moment, "_Next to me! Oh! Next to me! Oh! Next to me! Oh! You will find him, you'll find him next to me!"_

Jeremy smiled up at her; while this music was nowhere near the usual stuff he tended to listen to, he obviously found her voice to be very appealing. From the white table, Rachel could see Elena and a newly arrived Stefan smiling her way as they sent her thumbs up. Caroline was nowhere to be found, but Rachel was sure she was close.

"_When the money's spent and all my friends have vanished! And I can't seem to find no help or love for free! I know there's no need for me to panic! 'Cause I'll find him, I'll find him next to me!" _she sang happily, moving her hips from side to side to mirror the beat, "_Oh, the skies are grey and all the doors are closing! And the rising pressure makes it hard to breathe! Hard to breathe! Well, all I need is a hand to stop the tears from falling! I will find him, I'll find him next to me!_

_"Next to me! Oh! Next to me! Oh! Next to me! Oh! I will find him, I will find him next to me... When the end has come, buildings falling down fast... When we spoilt the land and dried up all the sea... When everyone has lost their heads around us, you will find him. You'll find him next to me!" _

Rachel gripped the microphone before her, pushing her heart and soul into the last verse of the chorus, "_Next to me! Oh! Next to me! Oh! Next to me, yeah, yeah! You will find him, you'll find him next to me! Next to me, next to me, yeah, yeah! Next to me, next to me! Oh, yeah! Oh yeah, next to me! Next to me, yeah! You will find him, you'll find him next to me, yeah..." _

The song quickly faded out as she brushed by the last lyric. She bit her lip, looking around to Jeremy, who was grinning from ear to ear and giving her a thumbs up.

"Wow, Rachel, that sounded really good!" a voice complimented, making her turn. Bonnie was standing before the truck, wearing a brown bikini top with jean shorts to match. Rachel's eyes widened and she quickly bent forward so they could talk. Bonnie was the one she wanted to impress the most, especially considering their malfunction of an interaction the night before.

"Thank you, Bonnie, I'm glad you enjoyed it," Rachel smiled, "Hey...was everything okay yesterday? I'm afraid I've been a little paranoid that I put off the wrong impression..."

She looked confused at first, before a look of realization hit her hazel eyes and she was suddenly shaking her head furiously. "Oh, no, of course not! I guess I just zoned out, I do that sometimes. But, um...I have to ask. Have you...have you been to Mystic Falls before?" The question took her by surprise.

"No...no, I haven't. Why do you ask?"

Bonnie bit her lip, before responding, "Oh, no reason! I had just assumed is all. I'm really glad you've moved here, Rachel. I feel like you'll be very happy. Now...I won't keep the wash from hearing your voice. Caroline would kill me if I did." Laughing fondly, she turned and walked away while grabbing a bucket of water and a few sponges along the way.

"That was...interesting," Rachel chirped, before turning back to Jeremy and hissing another song. He nodded, quickly typing in the laptop before a karaoke rendition of '_Fearless' _by Taylor Swift began and she sang that next in favor to Elena's request. From there, she wasn't really interrupted. The wash went on successfully. Rachel didn't want to pat herself on the back, but she did see a few of the customers approach the truck specifically just to hear her up close. She'd say that spurred a lot more action, but Caroline wasn't there to witness it. In fact, she couldn't see her anywhere.

Jeremy suddenly appeared by the bed of the truck. "Hey, Rachel, I know this might sound like a dick move, but I was only supposed to stick around for the first two hours of the wash. My...friend...My friend, Vicki, invited me to go out with her friends today and I don't wanna miss it. Is it cool if we cut the concert short?"

"Huh? Oh, sure, Jeremy. It was nice to meet you, too. Sorry I spent a majority of our first few moments together belting it out on a truck," Rachel joked, smiling as Jeremy did. Soon, she was left with just herself and an abandoned computer that wouldn't play more music unless she asked it to. She moved to crawl off the bed of the truck, crying out in shock as she slipped and nearly hit her face on the concrete if it weren't for two strong hands catching her.

"Woah, there, you okay?" Stefan's calm voice asked.

She looked up, brown eyes wide in shock.

"Stefan? Oh, I apologize. It's these damn heels. Caroline insisted I wear something revealing and, unfortunately, flats don't exactly scream sex appeal. Guess I'm not accustomed to wearing this still." She steadied herself now that she was on the ground, flattening her outfit before she met his eyes again, "Thank you. Um...where's Elena?"

"I was hoping you could tell me that. I was speaking with her earlier and now I can't find her."

Rachel shook her head. "No, I haven't seen her or Caroline for a while now. Is everything okay?"

Stefan bit his lip, slowly shaking his head. "Um...yeah, yes, totally."

Rachel was pretty good with reading people, so she could definitely tell he was lying, but she decided not to question it. Her voice was exhausted; she hasn't sang this much since Sectionals and her ankles were becoming a lot more sore from the heels. Truthfully, she wanted to go home. The car wash was almost over, anyway.

"Hey, if you find Elena, you mind telling me?" he asked, "And, before I forget, you were really good today. It was probably really unexpected that your second day here was going to be spent at a car wash singing. Caroline's just really, really intense." He laughed fondly, practically forcing Rachel to mirror it. It was like he oozed a forced sort of empathy; whatever he felt, you were forced to feel.

"Thank you. And, yes, it's pretty weird. Then again, I had assumed my stay here would be spent without any companions at all. Plus, it's not like I'm not used to crazy considering where I come from. I like the unexpected," Rachel giggled, before biting her lip, "Hey, um...you said you were new to town, too, right?"

Stefan slightly winced. "Well, slightly new. I mean, I lived here when I was...younger, but then I left and I'm back. I guess you could say all of this is a little new to me, though."

"Okay, I have to ask...does that Bonnie girl treat you weirdly, too, for being new? I hope this doesn't sound rude of me, but both of our interactions was just so...strange. I can't help but feel it has something to do with me, but you're the only one who can confirm or deny it," Rachel said.

He didn't look at all confused. In fact, it looked like he knew exactly what she was talking about. But he didn't answer anyway. If she was reading his expression right, it was like he was trying to search for an excuse that would help him out of this conversation. That meant it was just her she was treating this way.

"Well...I mean, Caroline and Elena both said the same thing...she sort of spazzes out... What did she say to you this time?"

Rachel's eyes narrowed. Instead of outright confronting him, she said, "She asked me if I've been to Mystic Falls before this. Not in a conversational way, but in a way that suggests she's seen me before yesterday. I'm just...trying to figure her out without outright doing so and hurting her feelings. In Lima I tended to be a little...odd..."

Stefan nodded slowly. "I see...I wouldn't think anything of it. Anyway, I better go. The car wash is ending and I wanna try and find Elena before it gets dark. It was nice seeing you, Rachel. I'll see you at school tomorrow, hopefully." Smiling, he passed by her in the opposite direction. How could he be so casual about this? Rachel was slightly irritated; she was obviously being treated differently than the others by Bonnie. It's not as if she's even treating her with dislike, she's just treating her...weirdly.

"Hey, you okay?" a voice called, catching her attention with ease.

Rachel turned to see a slightly wet looking Matt, who was wringing out a filthy sponge. He looked like he was finished, too: exhausted but satisfied.

"Yeah...yeah, I'm totally fine. I just...I dunno, I guess I'm just a little distracted is all. I think I'm gonna go ahead and head home."

Matt nodded slowly. "Well...I was actually gonna head to the Grill to catch a bite to eat. I guess cleaning cars makes me hungry. Wanna come with? My treat." He bit his lip, looking slightly hopeful. Rachel studied him for a moment. How ironic that Finn Hudson's Mystic Falls counterpart wanted to have lunch with her. She hoped it wasn't because of the immodest outfit. She smiled.

"Sure, I'd love to," she easily agreed. He nodded coolly and quickly went to dump his cleaning supplies on one of the cheerleaders still working, thanking her quietly before coming back to Rachel and leading her into his truck. The inside was far better than the bed where she nearly broke her neck twice. He quickly started it up and pulled cleverly out of the parking lot and onto the road on the way to what Rachel could only assume was the Grill. She'd have to ask him to bring her back when they finished so she could get the Armada.

Soon, he pulled into the front of it, putting the truck in park before shutting it off and getting out. Rachel followed closely behind, carefully following him inside in case she accidentally fell right onto her face. The Grill wasn't as crowded as it had been when she came the night before with Elena. That didn't stop from heads still turning. When did the shock ware off for the new girl?

"Go pick a spot, I'll wave down a waiter," Matt whispered. Rachel nodded, making her way toward one of the free tables that was rid of any wandering eyes that found her somehow interesting to look at just because she was new to town. Flattening her skirt, she leaned back in her chair and waited patiently for Matt to come back.

Soon enough, he did, while being tailed by a young waitress that looked as though she knew him.

"Hello, I'm Amanda, and I'll be your waitress for today. Anything I can get you to drink?" her voice was light and fake, but Rachel didn't blame her. Being a server to customers on a daily basis was probably the most irritating job in the world. Rachel wouldn't wish it on her worst enemy.

"I'll take an iced tea," Rachel smiled.

"A Coke for me," Matt said, watching her leave. He turned back to Rachel. "So! Second day in Mystic Falls. Have a report?"

Rachel smiled. "Well...everything seems to be moving fast already. I've met six kids who actually want to befriend me, I've already performed my talents, and now I'm sitting with you in a restaurant. So far, so good. I'm moving a lot better than I did in Lima; I just have to face the fact there's two atmospheres practically. Everything you did over there that was out of the social normality, you'd get punished for because you're different."

"Sounds hard."

"It was, but...I think I'm enjoying the change of pace here. At least you guys don't throw slushies in kids' faces."

Matt blinked several times. "Wait...slushies?"

"Did I not mention this to you? Well, at McKinley, if you were a loser, a popular kid would take a full cup of slushy and just...throw it right in your face. The worst was the blue one because it stained very easily. Although...red is a close second because it burns the eyes far more." Rachel nodded, cringing at the memories. That was definitely one thing she didn't miss.

Matt chuckled. "Wow...that's awful. No, we don't do anything like that here. I like to think everyone's pretty cool with everyone. It's hard to find someone not happy. Plus, with all the celebrations we have, it's really difficult to stay sad for long. We're always busy."

"Sounds fun. Any function I should know about that's coming up?"

Matt thought for a moment. "We do have a Halloween dance at the high school. Supposed to be a real spook fest. You into Halloween?"

"As much as I'm into eating meat," Rachel laughed. "I'm vegan."

"Oh, c'mon! Halloween's the best! Candy, scary movies, cool costumes...I dig it. Maybe you will once you go to the party," Matt said.

Their waitress, Amanda, returned with their drinks. She requested their orders, Rachel asking for a simple salad and Matt getting a plate of hot wings.

"I'd totally get a salad so I don't offend you, but I'm starving," Matt said.

"Oh, please, don't worry about it. It's my own decision; even though those animals are probably cursing you as we speak from the dead," Rachel joked. Matt bellowed out another laugh, shaking his head softly. She felt a lot more comfortable around Matt. Elena even told her he was a kind person with a giving heart. She really underestimated him. She was about to ask him what he preferred in Broadway productions when their table was suddenly joined by an older looking woman with purple spectacles. She wore a pink shawl over a long brown blouse and yellow skirt underneath. She was pointing in Rachel's direction.

"Shelby? Is that you?" she asked, adjusting her glasses as she squinted at her.

Rachel's brow raised. "I'm sorry?"

"Shelby Corcoran, right? That's what you told me last time," she whispered.

"Ma'am, I think you're confused," Matt chuckled from across the table, "This is Rachel Berry, she's new to town. I'm sorry..."

She looked more insistently at Rachel, before she slowly nodded. "I see...my mistake. You both just look so much alike. My eyes must be gettin' to me. I'm sorry, children." She gave them a small smile before she waddled away. Rachel could see her look over her shoulders several more times.

"That was...strange," Matt chuckled.

"That tends to happen to me...strange things, I mean. I have no idea who Shelby Corcoran is," Rachel shrugged.

"Me neither...what do you think would've happened if we told her yes?"

Rachel looked at him, trying not to laugh. "Probably would've asked me why I'm dressed like such a promiscuous hag."

There was a long pause before the two burst into loud laughter again. Rachel's sides were beginning to hurt. But she still couldn't help but wonder who the real Shelby was and exactly why she was mistaken for her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: I hope you enjoy this chapter. I have a lot planned for our dear Rachel along with all the characters about to be involved with her. Damon is about to meet someone he didn't expect. How could someone be as high maintenance as Katherine, yet still have a heart?**

* * *

"I have a question," Rachel laughed, leaning back in her newly installed computer chair the movers had graciously fixed up. Her entire room mirrored hers from Lima, now with purple walls instead of yellow. She absolutely loved it. Her desk was pushed up against the wall opposite her giant window. On her computer screen were several faces of her old teammates, all grinning excitedly at her as she pulled her knees up to her chest. "How the hell are all of you fitting into one screen?"

"_The magic of a webcam, my dear_," Kurt joked. "_I called an emergency Glee club meeting just so we could all see you. Worked like a charm. Even Mr. Shuester showed up oddly...which is weird because I didn't even call him." _He turned to look at Brittany suspiciously, since these things usually happened because of her. At first, she didn't appear to understand why he was accusing her of something when it suddenly came to her.

"_I have Mr. Shuester on speed dial in case I get lost in the school parking lot again. Remember that time I was there for two days? It was a really hard time for me," _she shrugged. Santana smiled sympathetically, placing a hand on her shoulder. Despite the fact that it was Saturday night, the two of them were still wearing Cheerio uniforms. It was like some kind of ongoing gag. Weirdly enough, however, Rachel missed it. Mystic Falls was treating her very well these past two days, but it'd never do her what Lima did.

"_Hey, Rachel!_" Mr. Shuester greeted off screen. "_Kurt told us you got to sing at some charity wash today?"_

Rachel playfully scowled at Kurt, who raised his hands up in defense. "It was for a new friend of mine. I really wanted to make a good impression, so I agreed. It was nice...I had to leave early, though, because the person who was working the computer and speakers had to leave. That's when Matt and I went to the Grill to eat and I went home. For my second day here, it's been really productive."

"_Matt? Who's Matt?" _another voice joined in the mix, making Rachel flinch. She didn't realize Finn was also there. He suddenly appeared on the screen between Kurt and Mercedes.

"He's just a friend, Finn. He's still stuck on Elena because apparently they used to date, but she's seeing Stefan now, and...it was just lunch," Rachel cleared her throat. Finn still looked accusing, but he knew not to say anything. They were broken up. Albeit, they were only broken up for two days, but even still. "You won't believe it, though...apparently after I left there was a fire at the wash! It went out rather quickly, but one of the cheerleader's cars just simply...poof!"

"_Sounds scary_," Tina shuddered. "_I hope everyone was okay. But I've been dying to ask since we have to head back to school for the first time without you tomorrow._ _What are you gonna do at their high school? Do you know how different it's gonna be over there? Your dad registered you, right?_"

"Yeah, right after his first day in the office. He's already so busy, it's infuriating," Rachel grumbled. "All I know is...I'll hopefully be sticking with Elena and her company the entire time because they're the only ones I know as of now. They're all really great, too, so there won't be much tension. I just need to finish out sophomore year..."

"_So, are there any hot chicks?_" Noah asked eagerly, only to be smacked across the head by Quinn. Rachel snorted.

"There are definitely some...attractive women, but none of them have a hankering for a mohawked boy with an issue of dumping kids in trashcans," Rachel said seriously. "I think I'll be fine here, honestly. Everyone seems so nice and it's really, really normal. No Sue Sylvesters, slushies in the face, or anything like that. In fact-"

She cut herself off quickly, her excellent hearing alarming her someone was outside moving. That was weird. It was late at night. Nobody should be out at this time of day. She slowly arose from her computer chair, looking toward her window.

"Hang on, guys, I think I hear someone," she mumbled, slowly approaching the translucent object, her brown eyes searching. She was thankful there were streetlights on her street. Biting her lip, she saw it wasn't at her home. Instead, it was right next door. Peering, she saw it was Elena, still fully dressed looking as though she murdered her entire family. Rachel frowned. She wanted to open the window and call out to ask her if she was okay. After all, she did disappear from the car wash according to Stefan, but she looked frozen in fear as she crawled into her car and sped off. Deciding to ask her about it tomorrow, Rachel turned back to her computer and slowly sank back down into her chair. For some reason, that event made her uneasy.

"_What's wrong?" _Quinn asked, noticing her face.

"Nothing, I...I just saw Elena speed off. Maybe she forgot something at the wash. It's just weird to leave at this time of night," Rachel shook her head, "Are you guys going to be working on the Regionals setlist tomorrow? Mercedes, do you have any solos in mind? I actually thought of a few on the plane ride and I was thinking of pitching them to you guys so you could take them into account. You know you have to attack Vocal Adrenaline's weak points. Now, I've done some research. They tend to do numbers that compliment their strongest singer, Jesse St. James. Apparently he's a senior this year, so it's really important that you catch them while they're strong and remain superior the duration of their next two years without him. After some digging, I've come to find they've never done a funk number. Now, Mercedes and Artie, I think you two could collaborate on a duet-"

"_Breathe, Rachel, breathe!" _Mercedes laughed, "_Regionals aren't for another month! We have time! You don't need to worry about us. You need to focus on your time over there. You're acting like you're a mother who's left her kids without a babysitter, damn."_

_"_I honestly feel like I have," Rachel sighed. "You guys are fantastic, I mean that, but...I just want to be sure we do whatever it takes to win."

"_I think you forget I'm here, Rachel!" _Mr. Shuester called, also appearing on screen, "_We'll be okay. Seriously. We know what to do. I think I have an idea of what to do this week. I just need to put it all together. I think all of you are really gonna like it."_

_"Did they like your performance, Rach?" _

Finn suddenly asked, leaning forward on the table that held Kurt's laptop.

"Yes, they did. I received many compliments. I just hope there's some sort of function at the high school I can join so my talents won't die in vain. I better go, though. Dad's threatened to turn off the internet if I don't get to bed early. I think he's far more excited for school than I am. He's been so worried about me and Daddy...he feels like the move's all his fault," Rachel leaned her head into her open hands. "It sucks because he came home today absolutely excited. Apparently the office is really nice, and he even got introduced to the sheriff since some of her men stay as nightly security there. But as soon as he saw my face he looked guilty. I'm worried the stress will get to him."

"_Rachel, you're fine. As long as you show him you're having a good time, he'll stop putting pressure on himself. Let him get a feel of the new job. Just take a step back. Trust me, you do not want to spend your time worrying; it'll only make things worse," _Quinn sighed, rubbing at her stomach. "_We shouldn't keep you. Skype us again next Sunday, but keep us updated on what's going on, okay?"_

Rachel smiled and nodded. "I love you guys...I'll text you." With that, she waved goodbye and ended the Skype call, closing her laptop and walking toward her light switch. She could hear her fathers talking downstairs. They sounded rather anxious. Raising a brow, she skillfully creaked open her door a tad to listen in, hoping they weren't arguing again. She hated it when they fought.

"She said they meet every other night at the Lockwood mansion to discuss certain matters. She wouldn't tell me over what, but she mentioned we would be more than welcome," Hiram insisted. "That lovely woman you met today, Sheriff Forbes, she's there, too. It would appear it's some sort of founding families club."

"We're not a founding family, sweetheart. I can't schedule meetings with them when I have to focus on everything us. What did you tell Carol?" LeRoy replied tiredly. Rachel bit her lip. He did sound rather exhausted.

"I told her I'd talk to you about it. I think it's very lovely they thought of us. We can't pretend Lima was as welcoming as this place seems to be. It would be nice to be somehow included with the community, LeRoy. Our little girl is blossoming on just the second day. I hated coming home everyday in Lima to see you sitting alone on our couch watching Desperate Housewives. It's time we branch out a bit. Carol said there'd be excellent wine there," Hiram chuckles. "Just give it a thought. Plus this means we'll be able to check in on Rachel with some subtlety since she's friends with the founding families' kids. Carol's a real gossiper when she's on three tequilas."

"You drank tequila in the afternoon?"

"Irrelevant. Just think about it long and hard. C'mon, we need to go to bed. I know you have to get up early."

Rachel frowned and shut the door. Founding family meetings? That sounded oddly traditional, but she was glad her dads were branching out of their own comfort zone. She wasn't the only outcast in Lima. It was a town of homophobic people with awful morals due to either their political agendas or religious tendencies. They didn't have many friends. Here, however, it seemed far more welcoming. Smiling to herself, she shut off the light and wandered toward her bed, welcoming her soft pink comforter.

At the back of her mind, however, she still couldn't help but wonder why Elena left her home in the middle of the night...

Her alarm blared obnoxiously the next morning, startling her to consciousness. Groaning, she sat up and rubbed her head. It was a dreamless night, but she felt like her head was exploding. Sunlight bleared in from her window, lighting the room without the need of the one sitting above her. Today was the day. It was her first day of school. This was the one thing she wasn't looking forward to when she heard about the move, but she actually felt pretty good about it. She had Elena, Stefan, Caroline, Bonnie, Matt, and Tyler. That's far more companions than she had when she first started as a New Direction.

Smiling to herself, she promptly sat up and got right out of bed. Her morning routine consisted of her moisturizing, practicing scales as she fixed her hair, and pulling on her maroon reindeer sweater over a plaid skirt. While it wasn't what girls like Caroline or Elena wore, Rachel felt at home in it. This was who she was. Plus, it was far too late for a sudden wardrobe change. She gazed at herself in the mirror, slowly nodding to herself. She could do this. It was easy!

Grabbing her bag as well as her cellphone, she wished herself luck as she left her room and trotted down the stairs in time to see her father sitting at the counter drinking coffee. He looked exhausted, but happy. Rachel smiled as she approached, pressing a kiss to his head before moving around to fix herself a quick breakfast before she'd leave.

"The car is all gassed up, sweetie, your father made sure of it," he said.

"Thanks, Daddy. I'll text you when I'm coming home. Hopefully I find some form of a choir or Glee club available at the school. I'm really looking forward to using my voice here. Everyone seemed in awe at the wash, which tells me I'll have no competition for my position as a star." Rachel said, pressing a hand over her heart. She quickly finished making herself a small, vegan-friendly, breakfast and rushed to eat it before kissing her father again on the cheek and rushing to the door.

The day felt as beautiful as it looked. It wasn't blistering hot, but it wasn't freezing cold either. The day seemed perfect. Maybe this was a sign on how good it'd be. Biting her lip, she went straight for the Armada and climbed in, quickly starting it and backing out of her driveway. Next door, she could see Elena leaving her house, still looking rather worried about something. Deciding now would be the perfect opportunity to ask what was wrong, she carefully pulled in front of her driveway and rolled the window down.

"Elena!"

The girl was startled; she must be very deep into her own thoughts. She looked up and met Rachel's eyes, looking relieved as she noticed it was just her. Looking around as though she'd be followed, Elena slowly approached the Armada. She smiled up at Rachel, but even she could tell it was extremely fake. Something was obviously wrong.

"Hey, first day, huh?" she asked, "I know you'll probably be stuck with all the sophomores, but if you're able to get B lunch, go find Caroline, Bonnie, Matt, and Tyler outside at one of the benches. You'll be able to sit with them. You're gonna have lots of fun, I'm sure of it." Rachel frowned, instantly reading between the lines.

"Do you and Stefan not have the same lunch?"

"Well...we do, but neither of us will be going today. He said he wanted to show me something and today's the only day we can do it. You'll see me tomorrow, though, I promise." Elena waved. "Good luck at school, Rachel! Just stick to your schedule and I'm sure you'll be fine!" Rachel took that as her cue to roll up the window and slowly leave Floyd Street. That was very weird.

But there was no time to sit and worry about Elena. She needed to focus on herself. As selfish as that sounded, Rachel just wanted the day to go well. She was used to being the outcast in school, but maybe this meant it would be different. Mystic Falls was a wonderful place, she's coming to find out. Besides, she didn't have to worry about bringing a second set of clothes in case of a slushy attack.

It wasn't difficult to find the high school. Since the wash was held in its parking lot yesterday, Rachel just mimicked the route and pulled the Armada out front, trying to find a good parking spot that wouldn't put anyone else off. Once it was in park, she grabbed her bag and cellphone, before crawling out. The car was a lot bigger than most, so Rachel always struggled to get out without falling because of her poor height.

The school was already packed with students. It wasn't too early in the morning, but she wasn't in the threat of being late either. Smiling confidently, she swung the bag over her shoulder and slowly made her way up to the school. Thankfully, nobody's heads turned to her out of shock. By now, the town knew of the new family in town and their teenage daughter. She was tired of all the looks she received at the Grill. Unfortunately, however, no looks meant no way of getting help in finding the front office to grab her new schedule.

She tried to see if she could find any of the others, but they were nowhere to be found. Caroline, Bonnie, Matt, and Tyler were not amongst the several faces she saw on the way into the main entrance. One obstacle, that was it. She should be able to find the office by herself. It shouldn't be too hard. She just hoped she got there in time before classes started. She would hate to be late on the first day.

"Hey, Rachel!"

Rachel looked up automatically, surprised to hear her name. She felt sudden relief when she saw it was Jeremy calling her over. He was adorned in rather dark clothes that reminded her of Tina, but it wasn't anything too over the top. Although, the black nail polish on his fingernails did put her off a bit. Nevertheless, she walked up to him with a grin.

"Jeremy! It's good to see you! I was worried I'd be wandering the school all throughout first period. How was that...thing with that Vicki girl yesterday?" she asked, thumbing at the strap of her backpack. Kids wove around behind her, not giving her the slightest bit of a gaze. This meant if she hadn't met Elena when she did, she'd go completely and utterly unnoticed.

"Well, uh...it was fine at first, but it got kinda awkward. Had to turn in early. But, um...I saw you walk in here and I thought I'd help out. I don't think my sister's gonna show up today. She didn't talk to me all morning." Jeremy rubbed the back of his neck nervously, still smiling crookedly down at Rachel.

"Oh, yeah! I ran into her this morning when I left the house. She told me her and Stefan would be skipping. Actually, Jeremy, I was hoping someone could help me find the front office. I'll be needing to retrieve my new schedule and all," Rachel requested rather nervously. She didn't want to outright tell him he just had to.

"Yeah, no problem! Since you're in my grade, we'll probably have a few classes together." He sounded a little excited about that. Rachel shook it off and just followed him down the hallway, quietly memorizing the turns so she could get there on her own next time without help. Jeremy was babbling the entire way, pretty much just giving her a heads up on how all the teachers were. All of them seemed fine, but she would definitely start her history class with a substitute because, apparently, the last teacher suffered a brutal animal attack that killed him. That made Rachel stare up at him in shock, but it must be old news because he didn't seem all too bothered by it.

Soon enough, they approached a staircase which was directly across double red doors. Jeremy quickly opened one for her, letting her walk inside. It was obviously the main office by the looks of the dull white walls and the many inspirational posters. There was a huge desk dividing the students from the teachers. It seemed the only way to get to the other side was by going through a door that was to Rachel's right. There were three women inside, but two of them were distracted in the back going through paperwork. The only woman available was one at the front typing away at an old computer. She smacked her gum obnoxiously, not even looking up at Rachel.

Jeremy gently encouraged her with a soft push forward. Rachel cleared her throat loudly, flinching as the woman looked up and met her eyes.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes, I'm Rachel Berry. I'm the new student from Ohio; I'll be needing my schedule to get on with the day," she said in a rush. Something about the woman intimidated her. Maybe it was the fact she was just a few years older than she was and was in a position of power. Either that or she was just simply nervous about her first day at a new school. Or both.

"Sure, sweetie," the woman replied, popping her gum and opening a cabinet off to the side. She flipped through many papers before she finally pulled an orange folder out and opened it. After thumbing through that for a good two minutes, the woman pulled out another paper and handed it to Rachel. "Have a nice day, honey. Try to find those classes okay."

"Yes, ma'am, thank you," Rachel nodded, before turning back to Jeremy and following him out. "Okay...I have no idea where any of these classes are."

"Let me see," he mumbled, taking the paper carefully from her and reading it over. "Looks like we've got , fifth, sixth, and eighth together. You also got B lunch, so you'll be heading to the cafeteria after your fifth period. I have it, too, which is...pretty cool." He smiled happily as he handed the paper back to her. "I do happen to know where your first period is, though, let me take you there."

Rachel nodded, smiling, not having the heart to tell him she was planning to spend her lunch with Elena and the others. Maybe she could convince him to sit with them, too. Jeremy carefully led her throughout the many hallways, trying to find the quickest way there. They ended up on the furthest end from the main office.

"Chemistry," Jeremy sang. "This'll be your first period, obviously. Your next one is P.E.. Lucky for you, P.E. is shared by all the grades, so you'll be able to spend it with Caroline and Bonnie. I'll see you in fifth, okay?" Waving to her, he quickly sped off. Rachel smiled. He was a really sweet guy. Still grinning, she walked inside the classroom with her head held high. The teacher was a younger black woman with a long, thin face and a gangly figure.

"You must be the new girl," she said as she approached. "Rachel Berry, right?"

"Yes, ma'am," Rachel nodded.

"Sit wherever you like. We'll be going over acids and bases today. I hope Ohio taught you a little bit of it."

Rachel nodded slowly, before she turned and walked to the far right of the row of desks, taking a seat at the third one from the front. Kids continued to arrive, all chancing a glance Rachel's way as they did so. It was expected. While the students outside paid her no mind, it was a completely different thing having her as a personal classmate. Whatever the feeling, she knew this was about her education. She didn't need friends in the classroom. She needed to learn.

And so she did. It was hard at first, the stares, but she got used to it, By the time the bell rang for second period, her notebook had its first several pages filled with her neat notes. Smiling, she quickly grabbed all of her things and trotted out the door. P.E. was next, which meant she'd be able to see Bonnie and Caroline if they were here today unlike Elena and Stefan. Rachel smiled as she wandered off to try and find it.

Thankfully, most of the girls were heading that way, anyway, so all she had to do was fall in step behind them. So far, the day was going by pretty well. She hadn't stepped on any feet, her and Jeremy were going on good terms, and she was discovering how the school worked with its many twists and turns. Hopefully tomorrow she wouldn't require aid to find her classes.

Soon enough, the girls led her into the locker room, which also had a door that led into the gym. Many were inside getting changed into their athletic clothes, leaving Rachel to stand awkwardly at the doorway, staring. She didn't have any athletic clothes with her. As if answering her prayers, she suddenly heard her name. Whipping around, she saw a happy Caroline waving her over. Bonnie was bent over on the bench beside her, tying her shoes. She didn't look up until Rachel got there.

"Oh! Rachel," she said, looking into her eyes before glancing at Caroline, "I didn't know you had P.E.!"

"Unfortunately, it's requires. I usually manage to burn my calories in the morning on my elliptical, but I haven't been able to set it up. Plus, every high school requires at least one year of physical education in order to graduate. I'm somewhat being forced here. I'm not much of a sports girl. Who do I speak to in order to receive athletic clothes?" Rachel looked at Caroline specifically, already feeling the uncomfortableness seep into the conversation between herself and Bonnie. What was that girl's problem?

"Just see the coach outside. How's the first day going? Have you talked to Elena?"

"Unfortunately, no. I ran into her this morning and she explained she wasn't attending today. But, otherwise, I'm having an awesome time. While the staring with everyone is growing a tad bit annoying, I'm willing to overlook it in the hope of getting my education back on track. I have to ask, though...um...does this school happen to have a Glee club of some sort? Or a choir?"

"No, I'm sorry. But...we do have sponsored musicals, if that helps. Yeah, Mrs. Lockwood gets a kick out of that stuff. Not a lot of people audition. They usually have to bribe people with class credits just to go. Just go talk to Tyler to talk to her. I'm sure she'd love for you to join. Just to warn you, most of our plays are on the histories of Mystic Falls, so they can get a tad boring, but the music genres vary." Caroline babbled happily as she finished changing before leading her into the gymnasium.

The coach was a taller female with bulky shoulders and long blonde hair. She was taking roll with a brown clipboard as Rachel approached, not acknowledging her until she was only a few feet away. She barked, "You are Rachel Berry, new student, a sophomore, daughter to LeRoy and Hiram Berry, yes? I was aware I was receiving you today. You're the talk of the town lately. I keep all athletic clothes in my office. You'll find it behind the red door to my right. Go inside, get your size, then change. Hurry up, I don't like slackers."

She tossed a ring of keys into Rachel's surprised hands, before she pushed her toward the red door. Rachel practically fell into it, her flats digging into the gym floor and making her slip. Blushing in embarrassment, she grabbed the doorknob and jerked it. Locked. Of course. Staring down at the ring of keys, she tried to decipher which one would open the door. Trying them all would waste her time. The correct key had a red splotch of paint toward the tip, as if it chipped some of the door on its way into the keyhole before. That was the right one.

Turning the key and opening the door, Rachel carefully walked inside the tiny room, shutting the door behind her and looking around for the bin that held her clothes. The room was painted in the high school's colors, lines of trophies taking up most of the shelf space, ranging from football to tennis to baseball. Finding the bin, she quickly got the correct size and ran back out into the gym in order to get to the locker room. She realized she could've changed in the office, but she couldn't risk it with her paranoia about a security camera being in there that she didn't know about. The locker room was empty. Thank God.

Rachel rushed to take off her clothes and pull on her athletic ones, not wanting to be late and have this coach hate her probably more than she already did. Just before she could slip on the red sneakers, a smash from one of the gym locker aisles made her head snap up in a hurry, practically cracking her neck in the process.

"Hello?" she called out uselessly. Stereotypical girls in horror movies always had to cry out that one word, which more times than not got them killed by the movie villain because they gave away their own position. Rachel shook her head and went back to tying her shoes, deciding it wasn't something she needed to worry about. Something probably fell from someone's locker. As she went to grab the keys to return to Coach, she heard another slam, making her head whip around again. Someone was there in the locker room with her, and they wanted to make their presence known.

Instead of calling out again, Rachel shifted the ring of keys so each laid protruding outwards between each finger kind of like that fictional character _Wolverine._ It was foolish to take such a precaution, but you never knew. Rachel didn't know what the crime ratio was in this jurisdiction. Making her way to the specific aisle the noise had come from, she called out as confidently as she could, "It is most definitely not funny if someone is trying to pull a joke! I really must get to P.E.! You should really be attending your own class as well! Skipping can earn yourself a..."

She trailed off as she got to the aisle, not a figure of life standing within it. Instead, all she saw on the floor was a pair of athletic shoes that had slipped from an open locker door. Snorting to herself, Rachel walked over and bent to pick them up. She really was being paranoid. What was wrong with her? Smiling to herself, she placed them carefully back in their locker and turned to leave just before she let out a blood curdling scream.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! It's just me!" Bonnie yelled over her, holding her hands up.

"Why would you sneak up on me like that?" Rachel asked breathlessly, holding a hand over her heart.

"Well, you were taking so long, Coach asked me to come get you. You alright?"

"Yes...yes, I'm fine. C'mon, we should go," Rachel said, shaking her head as she walked past her. Since she turned her back, she wasn't the one to notice Bonnie stare down the aisle Rachel was just in with a look of worry and knowing.


End file.
